Every once in a while, the usual Cinderella genre gets a new twist, so if you're tired of an average, common young woman falling for a royal prince, check out Once Upon a Holiday. In this one, an average, common young man falls for a princess!
Briana Evigan is a royal princess visiting New York, and she's pretty tired of the rules and schedules, so she runs away from her assistants and guardians to see what life is like as a regular person. This isn't exactly Roman Holiday, but it's the same basic concept. Paul Campbell is the non-royal person she meets, but unlike Gregory Peck, he's not a journalist vying for a story about her. He really doesn't know who she is, and he thinks they're just two people experiencing holiday magic.
Not to sound like a snob, but if Hallmark had cast another of their actresses, I would have like this movie much better. Briana was very pretty, but she didn't for one minute seem like a royal princess. Her speech and mannerisms were very contemporary and common. Paul was a total cutie, so if you can get past a princess who doesn't seem like a princess, you'll definitely be rooting for her to snag the guy. He's not only sweet and cute, but he does lots of good deeds that show her a good example. Next up, check him out in either A Godwink Christmas or Window Wonderland!
